Ambient light sensors are currently implemented in a variety of electronic devices. For example, ambient light sensors are implemented in hand-held electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones and notebook computers, for automatically adjusting the brightness of the backlight of the display (e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD) panel) of the device based upon the surrounding light level. For instance, the ambient light sensor (ALS) increases the brightness of the display's backlight when the device is being used in a brightly lit area and decreases the brightness of the display's backlight when the device is being used in a dimly lit area. This improves the user experience by making the display easier to see. Further, the ALS may automatically adjust the brightness of the display's backlight based upon the proximity of a user to the device. This promotes power savings for the device, thereby extending the life of the battery of the device.